You may have gathered from some of my posts, I like GOOD FOOD. As much as I like cooking it myself, it is also sometimes nice to let someone else do the work and be waited on. So, I’m always looking for new restaurants to try, and often, I am disappointed by blandness, sameness, and “production line” cooking. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, many restaurants don’t even employ a Chef anymore. Not that there aren’t some pretty talented line cooks around, but it seems that the only places that still employ real Chefs are high end dinner places. As for breakfast and lunch, fuhgettaboutit! But, read on, there’s hope!

One day we drove out MC85 to Buckeye, and tried Cafe 25:35 for breakfast on a whim. Uh,oh! Now whenever we want breakfast out, we have to drive to 409 E Monroe Ave (MC85), Buckeye, AZ 85326, because we are spoiled for anywhere else. This morning, our third time here, I didn’t know what I wanted, so I just asked if the cook would make something he thought I’d like.

Well, I was not disappointed! Two perfectly cooked over-easy eggs on top of a pile of expertly fried and seasoned potato cubes, with a thick rich “sauce” on the potatoes that was so flavorful and complex, I couldn’t get enough. This “sauce” contained chopped bits of red and green peppers that would release a burst of garden fresh with every other bite. It contained melted cheese, and was quite thick, almost like a rich chili, but with a lively, meaty flavor. Even though I consider myself a food connoisseur, I hate to admit that I have a condiment fetish. I love the variety of pepper sauces, good mayo, all kinds of mustard, and even some ketchup on certain things. Smoked salt, fresh ground multi-colored peppercorns, Old Bay® Seasoning, and lemon pepper, all find their way onto my plate at various times, to name a few.

But, this dish was absolutely perfect as is. A beautiful balance of spicy, savory, flavorful goodness that no condiment could improve on. And, those potatoes, for which the place is apparently well known, were little crunchy skinned pillows of creamy potato goodness inside. As soon as I broke the top of the eggs, the yolk ooooozed out all over the potatoes, and bathed them in luxurious, decadent, creamy, deep yellow yolk. It’s so hard to get eggs cooked that perfectly. None of the white was cooked to that clear hard crusty stuff, nothing left that’s jiggly-runny-soft-slimy, and yolks that ooze out to greet you when you cut into the center.

Lest you think this was a fluke, that we hit them on a good day, think again. This was our third visit, and each time the cooking, seasoning, presentation and taste were all five star! I can’t tell you every detail of every bite, but you should look this place up on Yelp, Google and read a little story about the ordeal of restoring and renovating an old historic building, and then take a leisurely drive out Old MC85. Take the scenic route, watch the speed limit signs, especially near the schools, and park on the street in front of the door. You’re going to be a while, but I think you will leave full, satisfied, and smiling from ear to ear.